UP to buy infection free factors for hemophilia patients

Over 2000 hemophila patients registered with different government centers in state will have access to the highest quality of life saving medicine soon - a privilege that patients in Gujrat, Jammu-Kashmir and certain souther states already avail.Shailvee Sharda | TNN | March 01, 2016, 13:24 IST

Lucknow: Over 2000 hemophila patients registered with different government centers in state will have access to the highest quality of life saving medicine soon - a privilege that patients in Gujrat, Jammu-Kashmir and certain souther states already avail.

"Till now plasma based factors were procured by the state government to manage hemophilia patients. But efforts are on to switch over to recombinant factors in patient interest," said Dr Anupam Verma, nodal officer, hemophilia, UP.

Hemophilia is a life threatening blood disorder in which the blood of the patient doesn't coagulate on its own. As a result, the patient may bleed to death. The only way to save life is to administer medicinal product called factor, which is a blood product.

Two types of blood factors, namely plasma and recombinant, are available for treating hemophilia patients. Plasma factor is a biological product in which real human blood is the primary raw material. However, recombinant factor is a laboratory made product.

"Hemophilia patients have to battle infections all the time because of frequent transfusion of plasma factors. However, there is zero risk of infections with recombinant factors," explained Prof Shubha Phadke, faculty medical genetics department, SGPGIMS.

Dr Verma added that plasma based factors are often in short supply which is not the case with crecombinant factors. "The shortage of factors often turns into a battle between life and death especially for families of limited means as the recombinant factors are costly," said Mohd Usman, whose son is a patient.

Principal secretary, medical education, UP, Anup Pandey, his junior Arindam Bhattacharya and director national health mission, Amit Ghosh are studying the economic liability of the migration. Sources said that recombinant factors are about 60% costlier than plasma factor. However, the difference comes down to about 35-40% in case of bulk purchases.

Addressing reporters at a programme organised by SGPGI to promote importance of physical exercise and sports among hemophila children, Anup Pandey said: "state government is committed to provide quality treatment to patients with hemophilia."

He also said that efforts were on to sustain the flow of funds for procurement of factors for patients.